Are We Sacramentalists? The Orthodox View, Part 1

Posted on April 4, 2008 by Jay F Guin

BaptismWe don’t study the teachings of the Eastern Orthodox that much, although it’s one of the largest denominations of believers on the planet. This is largely due to the Protestant’s common history with Catholicism. We have less in common with the Orthodox, making them seem all-the-more foreign.

But often there are insights to gleaned from those who are outside our peculiar culture and history. And while I disagree with the Orthodox on several things, I think there are some insights to be had from their community. One of these has to do with their view of the sacraments. Continue reading →

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Vocabulary Guide for the New Christian

Posted on April 4, 2008 by Jay F Guin

smiley.jpg[This was emailed to me, without attribution. I can’t find it on the Internet, and so I can’t credit the actual author. However, I did revise it a hair for Church of Christ sensibilities.]

Vocabulary guide for the new Christian:

It has come to our attention that most of evangelical Christendom recognizes a new set of religious laws which supersede the laws given through Moses. In the interest of clarity, we have researched the new Law as currently practiced and have come up with a set of religious equivalents to aid in Bible understanding.

When reading the Bible, you will find references to numerous practices, items, terms, etc. In order to understand the new Law, simply replace the Old Testament terms in your Bible with the Christian equivalents below: Continue reading →

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A Reflection on the Assasination of Martin Luther King, Jr. by Charles Colson

Posted on April 4, 2008 by Jay F Guin

colson.gifFascinating article by Charles Colson, who works to spread the gospel in the prisons.

Colson concludes, “I wish the world could judge Christ by what I saw in the Darrington prison.”

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The Audacity of Hope

Posted on April 4, 2008 by Jay F Guin

columnistsadams.gifAn interesting and fun article by Mike Adams.

Adams describes how his Wilmington church was prospered after committing to the support of African children.

Enjoy.

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Barna’s Latest on Divorce

Posted on April 3, 2008 by Jay F Guin

barna-divorce.jpgGeorge Barna has just released the results of a survey of American divorce rates. Christians in general have about the same rate as non-Christians — 32% to 33%. However, evangelicals have a 26% rate and Catholics have a 28% rate. (Barna defines “evangelical” very narrowly.) Non-evangelical Christians thus have a divorce rate indistinguishable from that of the world. Non-evangelical born-again Christians have a rate of 33% — exactly the same as the world’s. Continue reading →

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Emoticons

Posted on April 3, 2008 by Jay F Guin

smiley.jpgMark asked for emoticons.

I GOT EMOTICONS!

In the comment field, type any of the character sets in the right three columns to get the emoticon on the left. ( đź‘ż is permitted only for a holy cause!) Continue reading →

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Letter to a Gay Man in the Churches of Christ, Part 1

Posted on April 3, 2008 by Jay F Guin

gay Readers,

I received an email requesting that I post something on being gay in the Churches of Christ. I’ve split the email into 8 parts, to fit my answers more closely to the reader’s questions and because his poignant email raises several important issues that merit careful thought and a comprehensive response.

I thought at first of responding privately, but the letter asks for a post, and I’ve come to think that’s the right response. After all, as the writer says, most of our churches have gay members. Most churches have homosexual members who’ve chosen to be single and chaste, surrendering their sexuality to Jesus.

But few would be willing to admit their struggles to the congregation. And this says much about how much further we have to go to truly be like Jesus. Continue reading →

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Are We Sacramentalists? The Lord’s Supper

Posted on April 2, 2008 by Jay F Guin

Baptism[I’m reposting this to get it in right order within the series.]

Most Protestants consider the Lord’s Supper to be a sacrament. The Churches of Christ do not. Rather, we follow the view of Zwingli that the communion is purely symbolic. In fact, it’s routine in many congregations to precede the Lord’s Supper with a declaration that the emblems are merely symbolic of Christ’s flesh and blood — specifically denying any transubstantiation or consubstantiation.

Alexander Campbell advocated a celebrative service. Hicks summarizes Campbell’s views. He rejected a —

“morose piety … expressed in … sad countenances.” … We assemble to “eat and drink with him” at his table. The table is a moment when disciples are “honored with a seat at the King’s table,” where they “eat in his presence” and “in honor of his love.” Continue reading →

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The Future of the Progressive Churches of Christ: A Drug-Induced Dream

Posted on April 2, 2008 by Jay F Guin

psychedelic.jpgI’ve been passing these kidney stones, and I have to take some pretty powerful drugs. And drugs lead to some very strange dreams.

I woke, or so it seemed, about 100 years from now. I was surrounded by kind but curious faces — like the faces you might see at a zoo looking at the strange animals transported away from where they belong. You know … that look. And they were looking at me.

“What’s the last thing you remember?” one man asked. Continue reading →

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The Future of the Progressive Churches of Christ: Part 10, If I Were Pope

Posted on April 1, 2008 by Jay F Guin

cooperation.jpgWell, the Churches of Christ don’t have a pope, or anything close to it. And I don’t think we should. And if we did, it certainly shouldn’t be me. But if God were to make me the progressive Churches of Christ (PCC) pope for some unimaginable reason, here’s what I’d do —

* Start a theological periodical. Not too deep. It should be aimed at a popular audience, especially elders, preachers, and Bible class teachers.

This is why the Restoration Quarterly doesn’t fit the bill — it’s too high brow. And the Christian Chronicle flees theology, as does Wineskins (Lots of skins. Not much wine.)

The periodical’s mission would not be to propagandize for my views. Rather, it should be a vehicle for the exchange of ideas. We don’t need a creedbook. We need a conversation. What we believe and stand for should derive from the community’s discussions, not the ideas of some editor (or pope!) Continue reading →

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